The invention relates to a concentrator arrangement for solar radiation which has a beam splitter for deflecting solar radiation by means of total reflection. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for concentrating and converting solar energy which has such a concentrator and at least one device for the conversion of solar energy. Such devices for the conversion of solar energy are for example solar cells, solar modules or thermal solar collectors. The concentrators according to the invention are used for concentrating solar radiation just as in sun protection panels.
In the field of photovoltaics, approaches have been made for many years to concentrate the solar radiation in order to minimise the quantity of solar cell material and, on the other hand, to achieve higher efficiency. The principle is based on the fact that solar radiation is concentrated with mirrors and/or lenses and directed onto special concentrator solar cells. Hence, the photovoltaically active surface is reduced and hence the necessary quantity of expensive solar cell materials. Due to the concentration of the solar radiation which acts on photovoltaically active surfaces, the costs for solar power can be reduced. This applies in particular for regions with a high direct radiation component.
In the state of the art, there are used for concentrating solar radiation on small-area photovoltaically active surfaces, refractive (U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,478) or metallic-reflecting or total-reflecting elements (US 2007/0227582).
For photovoltaically active surfaces with larger dimensions, e.g. standard solar cells with a standard surface area of 150×150 mm or standard solar modules with a typical surface area of 1,000×2,000 mm, refractive or metallic-reflecting elements are only suitable to a limited extent because they do not permit compact arrangements. Refractive Fresnel lenses which are structured on one side enable for example merely deflection angles up to at most 40°. As a result, the spacing between lens plane and receiver plane, in comparison to the dimension of the lens, is very large.